TheWolverine spoke to several players around the Big Ten last week at Media Days in Chicago, asking them a variety of questions involving the Michigan Wolverines' football team.
Wisconsin junior running back Jonathan Taylor's 101 yards against U-M last year were the second fewest he tallied all season, and he was asked what made their defense so stingy to go against.
Players from Illinois and Rutgers were also asked for their early impressions of quarterback Brandon Peters and linebacker Drew Singleton, respectively, two players who transferred out of Ann Arbor following the 2018 campaign.
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• Wisconsin junior running back Jonathan Taylor, discussing what it was like facing Michigan's defense last season: “They had a great defensive line. They also had linebackers who could run sideline to sideline, and whenever you have multiple backers like that, you’re able to defend the whole field. It was kind of rare how all their backers could run sideline to sideline — that’s hard to find.”
• Wisconsin junior running back Jonathan Taylor, on facing Michigan in Madison in 2019: “The role is flipped this year. We beat them my freshman year at our place and then they beat us at theirs last year, so now we have home field advantage in a sense. That's great and all, but you can still lose anywhere on any given Saturday.”
• Maryland senior linebacker/defensive back Antoine Brooks, discussing the Michigan Stadium atmosphere: “I was there my freshman year [in 2016, a 59-3 U-M win] as well when they had Jabrill [Peppers] — that gentleman was crazy. Their stadium's atmosphere was insane in 2016, and it was between them and Penn State [for the best atmosphere in the Big Ten]. O-State goes crazy too.”
• Illinois fifth-year senior running back Reggie Corbin, when asked if he's gotten to know Peters yet: “A little bit. B.P. is a good dude and I definitely like him. He’s really quiet, but that’s good sometimes because it means I can do all the talking. He’s quiet, but is all about business and gets the job done.”
• Illinois junior right tackle Alex Palczewski, on his first impressions of Peters: “He seems awesome. I’ve seen him throw around with some of our receivers, and he’s just a really chill guy. I’m not sure what the expectations are for him here, though he’s obviously been at Michigan and has seen high levels of quarterback play.”
• Illinois junior cornerback Nate Hobbs, discussing Peters: “I’ve talked to him a few times and have had a chance to go against him in a few 7-on-7 drills. He seems like a cool dude, though he’s been pretty quiet every time I see him. He’s always just working though, so I don’t hear him talk a lot.”
• Rutgers head coach Chris Ash, on why he pursued Singleton: “He’s an aggressive player, based on what I’ve seen in the spring. Drew is all gas and no brakes and always goes hard — I love players like that. He also just loves ball and practices extremely hard.”
• Rutgers junior linebacker Tyshon Fogg, when asked if he's gotten to know Singleton yet: “He’s a very close friend of mine. Drew brings a lot of energy to the linebacking unit. He always has a smile on his face and pushes everyone else to get better every day. Drew is a very competitive guy and never backs down in practice, and that’s something we needed at that unit.”
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